The tallest but slightly thinner one has grown to 600% bigger than it was when we planted it from tube stock.

The second tree was planted as a three year old tree from a large pot. It has only grown 25% in height and the foliage is much smaller. This specimen is far less vigorous.

Root development will also be much slower for the potted tree than the tube stock tree. This can lead to stability issues in decades from now

It can be difficult to convince people that a tiny little tree in a tube will give them more advantages but here you can clearly see how quickly the growth difference is made up.

Think also of the cost benefits; a $5 tube stock or $100 large pot are the same size tree in 16 months.

In 5 years the tube stock is a useful shade tree while the potted plant still looks slightly bonsai.

Many council plantings have traditionally been established trees so that they can get pas the easy vandalism stage. A new approach is to mass plant areas with mixtures of grasses, shrubs and trees all from tube stock. As all the understory gets established, the dominant canopy tree quickly pushes its way above the rest.

Next time you plant, remember that ’The best things come in small packages’.